And it’s all thanks to small business mogul Peter Circelli, a 45-year-old Pelham Parkway native who opened PBQ (Peter’s Barbecue) Smokehouse, a rib joint with fiery flare, as illustrated by its exterior.

Inside, folks can step into a nicely rugged, saloon-style eatery complete with over five dozen seats, upbeat tunes and authentic taxidermied bullhorn.

In every aspect, customers can feel like they’ve taken a trip to Texas, taking advantage of, among other things, Quickdraw Lotto.

The rib restaurant at 866 Morris Park Ave. is something of a rarity in an area so accustomed to Italian fare.

But Circelli, himself Italian, saw this as a business opportunity.
“Nobody does it,” said Circelli, a soft-spoken merchant who works alongside his mother in charge of the bookkeeping.

Circelli successfully ran a towing and collision shop in New Jersey before entering the food industry.

But he wanted to be the type of restaurateur who did things right, leasing a large venue and hiring Freddie Luna, a seasoned rib chef whose daily routine involves lathering the meat with Texas-made rub, a marinating spice.